Ron DeSantis Shouldn’t Run Against Trump

He might beat him. But he might not.

The general consensus, in the wake of former President Donald Trump announcing Tuesday night that he would be running for the office again in 2024, was: Yawn. News organizations fell all over themselves showing how much “tougher” they’d be on him this time, cable stations (including Fox News) cut away in the middle of his speech and even the New York Post actively mocked him. After the Republicans’ disappointing performance in the midterms last week, thanks largely to Trump-loyal candidates that most voters dismissed as “crazy” or “stupid” or “crazy and stupid,” the party has made a clear signal that they’d like to move past Trump, and toward Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who had a terrific night on Tuesday and might have turned the once-purple state of Florida beet red. It led to widespread speculation that DeSantis, with the party behind him, will end up being the Republican nominee in 2024, and it makes sense: DeSantis looks strong, Trump looks weak, and the midterms made it crystal clear that if Republicans continue to stick with Trump, they will lose … again.

But I’ll confess: If I’m Ron DeSantis, I consider that a Republicans Problem, not a Ron DeSantis Problem. For all the things that Ron DeSantis is — and it’s possible one of them is “an asshole” —he is not stupid. He is ambitious…